THE United Kingdom is facing the threat of “enormous and spectacular attacks” by Islamic State terrorists, Scotland Yard has warned as its moves to arrest extremists for “anything we can” to disrupt plots.

In some of the strongest terms they have ever used, police have warned citizens to be prepared for attacks on Western-style values, much like the assaults on bars, cafes and a concert hall in Paris last year that claimed 130 lives.

Scotland Yard is arresting a suspected jihadist in the UK now every day and since the national terror threat level moved to “severe”, it has been upfront with its blunt warnings.

Firearms instructors playing the part of terrorists during a Metropolitan Police training program for the eventuality of a terrorist firearms attack. Picture: Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty

But using stronger terms, the force’s assistant commissioner for counter terrorism Mark Rowley said yesterday the bigger broader threat is to come.

He said in recent times terror plots had targeted police and military personnel and were aimed at small-scale attacks but now it was broader.

“In recent months we’ve seen a broadening of that, much more plans to attack Western lifestyle, and obviously the Paris attacks in November,” he said.

Scotland Yard have issued a new terror warning in some of the strongest terms they have ever used. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

“Going from that narrow focus on police and military as symbols of the state to something much broader. And you see a terrorist group which has big ambitions for enormous and spectacular attacks, not just the types that we’ve seen foiled to date.”

Be he also said an overwhelming number of those plotting attacks on UK soil, 77 per cent, were British citizens and more worrisome a growing number were females and children under the age of 18.

“That would not have been the picture that one would have seen a few years ago,” Mr Rowley said.

“That is an indication of that radicalisation, the effect of the propaganda and the way the messages of Daesh (ISIS) are resonating with some individuals.”

Demonstrators chant pro-Islamic State group slogans as they carry the group's flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, Iraq. Picture: APSource:AP

Since last year police revealed they had been detaining known extremists for “anything we can to disrupt” potential plots.

The revelation of a broader plot for mass attacks suggests a change in tactics for ISIS that last year were calling on supporters to run small scale assaults at will from simple plots of hitting people with bricks.

Since then, intelligence analysts have noted a change particularly in the wake of civil and social disruption in Europe with mass migration; police in Europe have warned it was through that upheaval that terror suspects would attempt to slip in or back to Europe raising the prospect of broader more planned plots. Police have adopted many new measures.

They are beginning to use trained psychologists who can provide advice both about how to deal with those at risk of being influenced by extremists, as well as terrorists in the event of an attack.

The number of trained firearms officers across the UK is also being increased in the wake of the Paris atrocities, with perceived threat broadened from just London to other major capital cities in the UK.

Official advice was issued at the end of last year to “Run, Hide, Tell” if marauding gunmen are found to be on the loose — meaning get as far away as possible, hide, and if possible call the police.

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